Fluid-regulator.



E.' P. NOYBS.

FLUID REGULATOR. APPLIOATION FILED 1I:13.1,1911.v

r. 'itoi'znsQoF wmermsrnn, massncnnss'rrs. i

- trol of the motor isexercised rLUID-REGULA'ron p all 'whom t mag/concern.'

-Be it known that L 'EnwAnn .1. Novns, a

citizen of the United States, residingxat `Winchester, in the county of Middlesex and Statel of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-` Regulators, of which the following isa.

specification.

This invention relates to 'apparatus formixing fluids ina definite ratio, such iiuids for example being air andl fuel gas which it may be.' desired to combine in combustible proportions for a gas engine. Difliculty has uheretofore been experienced in preserving pressureV the proper quantity-ratio of fluids when the of either of them varies, and tosome extent when the demand ofthe motor iiuctuates. The condition of .a variable airsupply pressure exists'for example when the suctionof the motor is applied to the pe'rformance of extraneous vacuum work su as pneumatic cleaning, or when throttle co at a point anterior to the mixing-chamber.

My object is to provide a simple and reliable regulating ap aratus adapted to pre serve a constant -or e'nitely varyin quantity-ratio of the fluids in the. face o variations .in the pressure or volumel of How of either of them. In a co-pending application,

Serial No. 568,629, VI have described a regu- ".lator having asimilar object inpview, ut

depending upon the ,establishment of equal 'or controllably-related pressuresl of the air and gas, anterior to a pair of orifices main tainedin a normally fixed adjustment which corresponds substantially to the desired ratio of quantities of the two iiuids. `My present invention however involves theautom'aticv control of the ratio of the orifices for the respective fluids in accordance with the physical law governingthe quantityrelation of fluids flowing, from different sources into a common chamber.

- Of the accompanying drawings, Figure .1 represents a vertical section of -a fluid mixer and regulator constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a ragmental section,

and Fig. 4 an- Fig. 3 a complete section,

showing three other ragmental section modifications. f

The fluids may be assumed to be air and fuelgas although the main principles of the 'j invention apply to other gaseousiuids, or

Its opto liquids,'or to a gas and a uid. eration is also substantially 1n ependev/nt 9i Specification of Letters Patent.

tionit has been assumed that air is drawn through the primary air-inlet of the regula tor at atmospheric pressure.

1, -10 is a casing having a primary air-inlet 11, a gas-inlet 12, and a branch air-'inlet 13, which latter may be connected'with a suction pipe for industrial uses-such as vacuum cleaning', while the linlet 11 supplies to the motor suchair for combustion as is not ad nntted through the inlet 13. The provision of two air-inlets 11- and 13 makes` itdesirmary o r atmospheric inlet 11- a device for mamtamlng at a substantially constant level two air flows join each other, which chamregardless ofthe impressed pressure in inlet 11, and in spite of variations in'the supply through inlet 13, the valve 15 simply opening or closing in greater or less degree according as the volume of ilow through 13 is less or greater in proportion'to the demand Vof the motor. As the pressure in inlet 11 is assumed to be that of the atmosphere, the pressure in 14 willtherefore remain at a substantially constant level during flow. The volume of air flow through Athevapparatus may be adjustedI by a suitable throttle valve or valves (not shown) either anteriorly located in the passages 11, 13, yor posteriorly located in the passage 18 leadmg fromrthe mixing-chamber 19. Variable anterior throttling may also be accomplished by adjusting the tension of spring 17 and for the purpose of quickly performing such j Y t J PatentedJanawm- Applieauon mea February 1,-19'11. l serial N.`sos,eae.

able to employ'in connection with the pri-v -ber I term the anterior air chamber. Suchassage between inletll andA pressure between inlet 11 and chamber 14,-

. In thedrawings, referring at first toFig. 1

the air pressure in the chamber 14 where the 10. The same fluid pressure actin yrates said chambers.

reslstance or constrlctlon 1n the alr-passage' 'wh1ch, during alr-ow establlshes a presadjustment, I 'have shown a sleeve 2O 'ont whichv Ithe non-rotating thrust-nut 21 of the spring -is screwed, together with a lever 22 `for axially sliding said sleeve.

23 is 'a bailie in the path of the air entering anterior chamber -14 from inlet 11 for the purpose of reducing the longitudinal velocity'of the air'current and causing it to assume a condition of semi-static pressure before it passes into the mixing-chamber. v

24 is a nozzle forming the air orifice connecting anterior chamber 14y with mixingchamber 19, said orifice being normally fixed 'in size .and for convenience formed in the hub-piece'of a diaphragm'25 which sepa- `This orifice forms a sure-difference beween chambers 14 and 19,

varying in amount according to the .volumeof yflow and serving to operatethe ldiaphragm 25. The latter carries the casing 26 of'a second diaphragm 27 attached to the gas valve 28, and it is by the differential 4action of vthese two diaphragms upon said valve that the regulativer action in this in 26 andits attachments', and the pressure of a spring 32 adjustable by means of'a non rotating thrust-nut 33 mounted' on a screw 34 rotatable from the outside of the casing g uP'. wardly. 'on diaphragm 27 is aided by the pressure of a spring 35 adjustable by means of a thrust-nut 36 screwing uponl an extension\37 of the gas valve stem, said nut engaging the squared vlower end of a rod 38 whose squared upper end slides in a sleeve 39 rotatable from outside ofthe casing.

diaphragm 25 to be locked for a purpose hereinafter referred, to.

regulator are based upon the physical principle that al substantially constant quantity ratio of two fluidssuch as air and gas iowing into a mixing-chamber such as 19, may be obtained by varying the cross-sectional area of one of the admission orifices, such as the gas orice 41, directly as the square root of the difference between the absolute v pressure of the other luidtthe air in this case) in an anterior chaniber such as 14, and that of the nuxture 111 the posterlor chamber 12,- and the absolute A set-screw 40 engaging rod 38 -enables the.

.of the\difierence between its own absolute supply pressure in fthe anterior pipe or pressure in said mixing-chamber 19. Thls assumes that the posterior pressure in 19- is greater than about of the respective anterior pressures in 14 and' 12, that the Huid temperatures remain substantially uniform, and

that theskin friction of the passage wallsJis negligible. The operation of the regulator need not of course exhibitlan exact conformity to this law in order to obtain the desired result of substantially uniform or i controllably variediproportions of the twol fluids. v

f When the posterior or mlxture pressure is less than .6 of the anterior' air pressure and less than .6 of the gas supply pressure, the law `is somewhat simplified, and I proivide for this situation by a modified structure hereinafter referred to. When the posterlor or mixture pressure lsgreater than .6 of the anterior air pressure, but less than4 .6 of the rgas-supply pressure, it is' obviously possible to reduce the latter by an arbitrary throttle or an automatic reducing valve in the pipe 12 in order to have the regulator work in substantial conformity with the law as stated above. This will be readily understood without illustration.

In the operation of Fig. 1 the gas valve 28 receives a differential motion in obedience to the pressure diierence between the chambers 14 and 19 on the on'e hand, and

that between. the chambers 30 andl 29 on the other hand, the valve opening wider as the former difference increases and closing as the latter difference increases. flhe two factors determining the relation of the gasorifice area to these 'respective pressuredifferences are, the relationof the valve-travel to that of either diaphragm, and the shape of the valve or its seat. Either factor may kbe controlled, but lsince I have in this instance attached thel valve 28 directly to the diaphragm V27, I prefer to so shape said valve that its orifice-changes are as the square root of its longitudinal travel. When the reduction of pressure in the normal operation of the regulator is so greatl .that the mixing-chamber pressure is lessthan about 60%. of the anterior air or gas The construction and operation of thisl lchamber 29 on the lower side of diaphragm 27, instead of receiving the pressure of mixing-chamber 19, receives' that of the anterior air-chamber 14 through a duct 42, its upper side remainingsubject'to theanterior gas diaphragm 27 solely by they casing.

pressure. Diaphragm 25 lshould then be.

:locked Vrigid by the set-screw 40, .leaving in control of the valve. In other words diaphragmv 25 may under these conditions be dlspensed with as I have shown in Fig. 3,' wherein a 'fixed partition 125 is substituted for vsaid diaphragm and the edges of diaphragm 27 are supported to the chamber 29 through a duct 42, and

anterior gas-pressure, as before, lis led-'to chamber 3() above the diaphragm, through duct 31. The shape of valve 28 in this case is preferably such thatits gas-orifice area and gas pressures variations are directly proportional tothe travel of the valve. Fig. 3 possesses the feature in common with Figs. 1 and 2, of causing the anterior air to act in opposite directions on a diaphragm structure controlling the gas valve, to open the valve and the latter to close it.

Fig. 4 shows a modification in which the gas valve 28'iL is cup-shapedso as to throw the gas flow downward in a direction coun--v ter to the air flow in order to improvethe mixing.'

' Various other modifications may be made without departing from my invention. For example whiley I have described the gas valve as being automatically operated, it will be understood without special portrayal that a valve controlling the air orice might be operated in a substantially parallel fashion to secure the same result.

I claim,-'-

1. A regulator comprising a mixingchamber `having inlets for 'two diiferent iiuids, and a mixture-outlet, a valve controlling one of said inlets, and means for so applying the pressure of the fluid anterior to sald valve as to close the latter, and for so applying the pressure of the. other fluid anterlor to its inletv as to open said valve.

2. A fluid-regulator comprising a mixing-chamber having restricted air and fuel inlets, a valve controlling the fuel inlet, and a septum structure controlling 'said valve and subject dierentially to the air and fuel pressures anterior to said inlets, the'former pressure tending to open said valve and the' latter pressure tending-toclose it.

3. `A regulator comprising a mixingchamber having inlets for two different luids and a mixture-outlet, a valve control- Anterior air pressure 1s led It will be noted that.

the lformer pressure tending 'one of said inlets, a multiple-septum structure controlling saidvalve, and means for so applying the anterior pressures of the respective fluids and the mixing-chamber pressure to said septum structure that said valve varies the area of itsinlet intween the anterior pressure of the fluid controlled by the valve and ber pressure,a'nd directl v as the corresponding function of the di erence between'the anterior ressure `of the other fluid'and the `mixing-c ambenpressure.

4. A Huid-regulator' comprising a mixing-chamber having vinlets for two different luids and a mixture-outlet, a valve controlling one of said inlets, and two septums differentially connectedf with said valve, one `of said septums being'subject in opposite directions to the anterior' air pressure and the mixing-chamber pressure tending .respectively to open and close said valve and t e lother being subject in opposite mixing-chamber ressure tending respec. .tively to close anfiiopen said valve.

5. A Huid-regulator comprising. a mixing-chamber having restricted air and gas inlets anda mixture-outlet, a valve controllin said gas-inlet, a septum attachedto anterior gas pressure and the mixing-chamber pressure tending respectively to close and open said valve, and a second septum carrying the first-said septum and subject differentially to the anterior air pressure and' the mixing-chamber pressure tending respectively to open and close said valve.

6. A regulator comprising a mixingchamber having inlets `for two .different Huids and a mixture-outlet, a valve controlling one of said inlets, a diaphra structure controlling said valve and su ject diferentially to the anterior pressures of the respective uids, an anteriorchamber for one of said fluids having a lurality of inletv passages, and a valve-an -septum structure controlling one of said passagesfand vsubject diferentially to the pressures anterior and .posterior vto it tending respectively to openjand close the said passage.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set witnesses, this 30th day of January 1911.

R. M. PIEBsoN, Enwxno E. BLAGK.`

,versely asa function of the difference beirections to the anterior gas pressure and the sai valve and subject differentially to the' my hand in the presence of two subscribing v i 

